Video link: Roho Mtakatifu anatuwezesha kujikana na kujitoa kisadaka
No. 3. The Holy Spirit enables us to deny and sacrifice ourselves
(Roho Mtakatifu anatuwezesha kujikana na kujitoa kisadaka)
The natural tendency of people is to benefit and enjoy themselves and not to deny and sacrifice themselves. Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” If you do not obey Acts 1:8, Acts 8:1 will come upon you. Acts 8:1 says, “On that day there was a great persecution against the church which was in Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the land of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.” If you do not obey the apostolic commission that you were given, great persecution will come upon you. God did not give us the Holy Spirit so that we could celebrate and have fun in church. We have been given that power so that we can reach others. If you do not obey the command to go voluntarily, you will be forced to go. The Spirit of God empowers us to be ‘martyrs’, that is, people who are willing to die for Jesus. Many spiritual ministers today are more concerned with what they will be paid or what they will benefit from, and not sacrificing themselves for others. This power makes you not fear life or hunger for the sake of the Gospel. God wants us to reach Samaria. Samaria is a place where you have no conflict of interest. – Your denomination does not exist there.
That is why last year I decided to reach out to the churches and spiritual leaders in Burundi. If we contribute to many celebrations, we cannot fail to contribute to God’s work. The apostle Paul found business partners to facilitate the ministry he was given. Acts 18:2,3 “And he found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome. And he went to them; and because they were of the same trade, he stayed with them and worked together, for they were tentmakers by trade.”
Philippians 3:8-12 “8 More than that, I count all things loss for the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ; 9 and be found in him, not having my own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed to his death; 11 that by any means I may attain to the resurrection of the dead. 12 Not that I have already arrived, or am already perfect; no! but I press on to take hold of that for which also I have been taken hold of by Christ Jesus.” In our day people pride themselves on having the possessions of this world. Paul boasted of the immeasurable value of knowing Jesus until he counted his past achievements as rubbish. Paul desired to be like Christ even in his sufferings.
Na 3 Roho Mtakatifu anatuwezesha kujikana na kujitoa kisadaka
Tabia ya asili ya mwanadamu ni kujinufaisha na kujifurahisha na sio kujikana na kujitoa kisadaka. Mdo 1:8 “Lakini mtapokea nguvu, akiisha kuwajilia juu yenu Roho Mtakatifu; nanyi mtakuwa mashahidi wangu katika Yerusalemu, na katika Uyahudi wote, na Samaria, na hata mwisho wa nchi.” Usipotii Mdo 1:8, Mdo 8:1 itakupata. Mdo 8:1 inasema, “Siku ile kukatukia adha kuu ya kanisa lililokuwa katika Yerusalemu; wote wakatawanyika katika nchi ya Uyahudi na Samaria, isipokuwa hao mitume.” Usipotii agizo la kitume uliloagizwa, adha kuu itakupata. Mungu hakutuletea Roho Mtakatifu ili tusherehekee na kufarahia tu kanisani. Tumepewa nguvu hiyo ili tuwafikie wengine. Usipotii agizo la kwenda kwa hiari, utalazimishwa kwenda kwa fimbo. Roho wa Mungu anatupa uwezo wa kuwa ‘mashahidi’ yaani watu ambao wako tayari kufa kwa ajili ya Yesu. Watumishi wengi leo wanahoji zaidi kwamba watalipwa nini au watapata nini na sio kujitoa kwa ajili ya wengine. Nguvu hii inakufanya usiogope maisha wala njaa kwa ajili ya Injili. Mungu anataka tufike hadi Samaria. Samaria ni maeneo ambayo huna maslahi binafsi – hakuna dhehebu lenu huko.
Ndiyo maana mwaka jana niliamua kufikia makanisa na watumishi wa Mungu wa nchi ya Burundi. Kama tunachangia sherehe nyingi, hatushindwi kuchangia kazi ya Mungu. Mtume Paulo alifikia kwa watu ambao wanaweza kufanya pamoja shughuli ya kiuchumi ili kurahisisha kazi aliyopewa. Mdo 18:2,3 “Akamwona Myahudi mmoja, jina lake Akila, mzalia wa Ponto; naye amekuja kutoka nchi ya Italia siku za karibu, pamoja na Prisila mkewe, kwa sababu Klaudio amewaamuru Wayahudi wote watoke Rumi, naye akafikilia kwao; na kwa kuwa kazi yao ya ufundi ilikuwa moja, akakaa kwao, wakafanya kazi pamoja, kwa maana walikuwa mafundi wa kushona hema.”
Wafilipi 3:8-12 “8 Naam, zaidi ya hayo, nayahesabu mambo yote kuwa hasara kwa ajili ya uzuri usio na kiasi wa kumjua Kristo Yesu, Bwana wangu; ambaye kwa ajili yake nimepata hasara ya mambo yote nikiyahesabu kuwa kama mavi ili nipate Kristo; 9 tena nionekane katika yeye, nisiwe na haki yangu mwenyewe ipatikanayo kwa sheria, bali ile ipatikanayo kwa imani iliyo katika Kristo, haki ile itokayo kwa Mungu, kwa imani; 10 ili nimjue yeye, na uweza wa kufufuka kwake, na ushirika wa mateso yake, nikifananishwa na kufa kwake; 11 ili nipate kwa njia yo yote kuifikia kiyama ya wafu. 12 Si kwamba nimekwisha kufika, au nimekwisha kuwa mkamilifu; la! Bali nakaza mwendo ili nipate kulishika lile ambalo kwa ajili yake nimeshikwa na Kristo Yesu.” Katika kipindi chetu watu wanajivunia kuwa na mali za dunia hii. Paulo yeye alijivunia uzuri usio na kiasi wa kumjua Yesu mpaka akaona mafanikio yake ya nyuma ni kama takataka. Paulo alitamani kufanana na Kristo hata katika mateso yake.
Dkt. Lawi Mshana, +255712-924234, Tanzania
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